The Studio Celebration: Alternative Budget Day
Calling all thought‑shapers, funders, creative rebels, micro‑business superheroes and SMEs from across the South West!
Step right into Alternative Budget Day at The Studio in Bath — an event explores a big, bold, sector‑shifting challenge:
What if the future of our creative economy isn’t all about “growth”… but about something far more human?
📅 Thursday 12 March 2026
⏰ 9.45am – 12 noon
📍 The Studio, No 10 Palace Yard Mews, Bath, BA1 2NH
Enter the Alternative House of Commons… yes, really.
Invited guests will be able to take a seat, raise their voice, and help us rethink the assumptions that shape the creative economy.
Expect our Alternative Chancellor, a playful parliamentary setup, and a chance to join a debate that champions the mighty “micro army” powering the UK’s creative industries.
The big question we’ll explore together:
- How can we re-frame economic growth to focus on building strong, inclusive regional ecosystems that sustain communities in the long term?
Because here’s the twist: being financially sustainable doesn’t have to mean being relentlessly growth‑chasing or profit‑maximising.There’s another way—and thousands of creative micro‑businesses are already proving it.
And let’s be honest: with 93% of the UK’s creative sector made up of microbusinesses, and 70% of them struggling to access finance… it’s clear the old model isn’t working.
There has to be a better way. (There is. Let’s explore it together.)
Join us on 12 March for:
- Inspiring conversations that challenge the status quo
- Playful provocations (the fun kind!)
- Useful, meaningful networking
- Hands-on exploration in our immersive tech library
- A chance to redefine what “success” means—for you, your business, and the future of the creative economy
We can’t wait to welcome you to a morning of imagination, conversation, and alternative possibilities.
Let’s rethink the future—together.